TV chef Monica Galetti stirs it up

Monica Galetti, 34, the tough-talking judge on this year’s MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC2, gets a grilling of her own from Benji Wilson

Monica Galetti

How did you end up on MasterChef?

I’m the senior sous chef for chef Michel Roux Jr at his Michelin two-starred restaurant Le Gavroche. He couldn’t get the time to sort through all the chefs in the initial tests, so they suggested he put someone in his place. He had three chefs from Le Gavroche in mind, we all did a screen test, and I got it. I never expected there to be such a big fuss.

How did you approach it?

I was really nervous but Michel said to just go in there and treat them like I would in our kitchen. But it’s strange to watch the programme afterwards. I hide behind my hands and cringe.Should any of the skill tests trouble a half-decent chef?

No, not at that level. Butterflying a prawn? Come on – nerves or not, you should know what you’re doing. If they can’t do it, it makes me angry!

If you went on the show would you win?

Ha ha! I don’t think I’d ever put myself on a live cooking show. It’s intense pressure and I don’t have anything to prove – to me working in Le Gavroche is proof enough that I can cut it.

The disapproving faces you pulled at some of the chefs’ efforts – did you spend time practising in front of a mirror?

No I didn’t. The thing is, I wasn’t allowed to talk while I was watching them cook. That’s probably why the facial expressions came out – sheer shock horror at what was happening.

On MasterChef with Michel Roux Jr and Gregg Wallace

You work at one of London’s top restaurants. Is the kitchen still basically a male-dominated environment?

Yes. Even now there’s only myself and one other girl in senior positions in our kitchen, and it’s taken us years to get there. You need a thicker skin and to give as good as you get.What is your relationship with Michel like?

I have great respect for Chef Michel and he’s also a close friend. He’s been teasing me about MasterChef. He says, ‘There are two tables in the room now saying you should take over the restaurant.’ And he likes to tease me about my phrases – such as, ‘If that fish was in my kitchen you’d be wearing it.’

He has a point – some of your put-downs were brutal.

That’s just something I’d say in my kitchen, and there’s worse!

Where are you from?

I was born in Samoa but raised in New Zealand. I wanted to go into hospitality, mainly because I wanted to travel. I visited London in 1996 and all the great chefs were here – Raymond Blanc, the Roux brothers… I thought, that’s where I want to be. So I saved some money, came back on a two-year visa and sent my CV to restaurants including Le Gavroche. Michel was first to reply. I’ve been working there on and off ever since.Your daughter Anais was born in 2006. How have you combined motherhood with working in a kitchen?

You have to make it work – but you also need to have an understanding boss. Michel said, which is nice, that he’d rather have me part time than not at all, so I work four days a week and share duties with my husband David, who’s the head sommelier at Le Gavroche.

Has Anais seen Mummy on TV yet?

She knows the introduction off by heart. It’s hilarious. Even Michel’s line, ‘If Monica says it’s all right, then it’s good…’

Your TV image is formidable. What are you like at home?

What you see on TV is just work. You have to be tough in this industry to survive. Outside work you’d never pick me out as a chef – I dress up like any other woman and wear heels. I have a great collection of shoes and a handbag fetish – I’m a big fan of Karen Millen, and I like popping in to Primark to mix it up. And then Selfridges down the road on my break is great…And what do you cook at home?

I keep it basic. So something like pasta or roast chicken with all the trimmings. Thai green curry’s my great treat. And I unwind with a bit of chocolate and a glass of red wine.

Monica will be cooking with Michel Roux Jr on 15 November at MasterChef Live, London Olympia, and will appear at the BBC Good Food Show Birmingham on 25 November.